It's a crazy and hectic world in which we live! Time often rules over us like a malevolent dictator; we watch the clock, we try to beat the clock and, of course, we often lose to the clock. We live by calendars, appointment books, computers and palm pilots. Life seems sometimes more about putting out fires than anything else. We often reside in an environment of rigid expectations and ?shoulds,? dictated by others and by ourselves.

When feeling stressed one should avoid any stimulants. Do not turn to food or alcohol and drugs. Some people believe these things make them feel better, but in fact they actually add to the already increased stress level. Caffeine should also be avoided.

This is a sure sign of being anxious. If you're experiencing anxiety, it's likely to have a negative impact on your presentation. While you may realize that this negative effect will only make matters worse, you're usually not in a position to alter your state of mind. The negative effect then becomes even stronger. It's not until you find a way to break the effect of this negative cycle that you can gain control of your speech.

An increasingly popular relaxation method is autogenic training. It involves repeating specific visualization phrases in order to focus on certain feelings like hotness or lightness in specific body parts. This process is intended to place the body into a more relaxed emotional state. This process is not simple and requires some effort and persistence. The technique can be most effectively learned by taking autogenic training classes

To reduce stress and to make sure that we were safe, the first step was to check the house to make sure there were no cracks or openings through which the ash might filter. As most of the house is protected against the snow and cold, the only major areas for concern were the garage door and the two main doors for access to the house. Application of foam filler to a couple of spots in the garage where light was showing through sorted out that problem.

Take comfort in the reality that you are not alone. Many of your peers and family members share your circumstance. If you understand that by being a community of employees, you are empowered to turn the negative work environment into a more positive one. You need to refresh your contingency plan and make some new goals.